Chairlift Talk May Need Translators

17th August 2010 | Craig Altschul, Editor-In-Chief

You may need to keep a translating app handy in your smart phone on chairlifts this winter. A new report from Airline News says the growing availability of cheap international flights to the U.S. is painting a new picture of who is coming to see us.

How's your Turkish? Visitors from that country have shown some of the biggest increases, moving from 28th on the list to 14th. Speculation is a strengthening of the Turkish lira against the U.S. dollar fuels the trend.

You might try learning a few words of the romance language of Potuguese, as well. Portugal went from 17th position to 11th. That's a major jump for such a small European nation.

You might keep a bit of vodka in your flask (not for consumption while skiing or riding, of course) because the Russians are coming big time. Russian visitors have gone from 12th spot to 7th. Russian skiers have been an ever-increasing presence in ski resorts in the Alps for several years.

"Russia's new generation brings with it a sense of intrigue, connection, and appreciation for the USA," said Dmitry Konovalov, Skyscanner's Russian Country Manager.

Konovalov did have a few suggestions in case you encounter Russian visitors on the slopes or during après ski time. "Try catering to Russians' preference of fruit juices over soft drinks, and always hand bills to a man, remember to firmly shake the hand of your Russian visitors, and if they seem loud, that's a sure sign conversation is merry and animated," he says.

You probably won't have to learn very many words in Chinese, however. China fell dramatically on the list from 8th to 22nd. It's not that the Chinese don't like us, however. It's primarily due to the cheap airfares deals to Europe as an alternative.

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